India will not allow imports of genetically modified (GM) products, and its dairy sector will stay protected in trade agreements, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday, Rural Voice reported. Speaking to students at Kirori Mal College in New Delhi, he said India had never permitted GM imports and would keep that position.
"We are very sensitive not to allow any GM products to come to India and we have never allowed it and we'll never allow it in the future," Goyal said. He grouped the issue with dairy, marine products and certain other farm commodities as highly sensitive in trade talks.
On dairy, the minister said India had not given duty concessions in the sector under any free trade agreement concluded so far. He also pointed to religious sensitivities in dairy production, particularly the use of calf-derived rennet to make cheese in some countries, and said imported dairy products must meet India's certification requirements so that those sensitivities are respected.
Goyal said India had not compromised on sensitive products in its trade agreements and remained committed to protecting farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises, while seeking preferential market access for competitive sectors such as textiles and pharmaceuticals. He said the government is targeting $1 trillion in exports in the current financial year.
Reporting by Rural Voice.
Photo: Shariquejamalworld / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Rural Voice
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